Corporate Social responsibility Case Study

Philip Morris' Social Responsibility Initiatives: For Whose Good?

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Abstract:
In the 1990s, anti-smoking campaigners and health experts accused the tobacco companies of entailing in aggressive marketing practices to promote their 'deadly' and 'addictive' products, misleading the public about the effects of smoking and unethically targeting the teens and the youth. Philip Morris, the market leader in the tobacco industry, was one of the prime targets of the lawsuits filed against the cigarette manufacturers. The lawsuits had a negative effect on the corporate image of the company. Amid the anti-smoking campaigns and lawsuits, Philip Morris took up initiatives to transform itself as a socially responsible company. While the company claimed that its initiatives were a part of social responsibility tasks, experts opined that the company's efforts were designed to generate much-needed positive publicity for the company.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the initiatives taken by Philip Morris to reposition itself as a socially responsible company
• To discuss whether the initiatives taken by the company are a part of social responsibility or a public relations campaign
• To discuss whether the initiatives taken by the company are a part of social responsibility or a public relations campaign.

Keywords : Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study Philip Morris, Marlboro, Tobacco lawsuits, Philip Morris’ social responsibility, PR (public relations) initiatives, US tobacco industry, John Hill, Anti-smoking campaigns, Master Settlement Agreement, Light cigarettes, Youth smoking prevention programme, BSMG Worldwide, US Justice Department, Corporate image, The Altria Group